Outdoor solar lighting is gaining traction worldwide as cities, businesses, and government agencies sharpen their focus on renewable energy and decarbonization. At the same time, advances in solar technology—paired with falling costs—have made it an increasingly efficient and cost-effective option for everything from streetlights to playgrounds to military bases.
But as with any fast-growing industry, a wave of new players has entered the market, eager to make a quick buck without understanding the engineering behind reliable solar systems. To the uninitiated, these companies’ claims can be hard to parse, and unfortunately many customers are ending up with products that, at best, don’t meet their needs, and at worst, don’t work year-round.
Here are some of the most common issues people run into with solar lighting—and how Sol avoids them through careful design, quality manufacturing, and long-term support.
Problem: Solar lighting doesn’t work during winter
It’s easy to power solar lighting during the summer when days are long and sunlight is abundant, but winter is another story. Solar panels and batteries must be carefully selected and sized to the system’s location and load. If the panels are too small to collect enough energy during the day, or the batteries can’t hold enough charge to power the system at night, performance will suffer.
Sol’s approach: Custom sizing and batteries
A sunny city like San Diego receives much more winter sunlight than Detroit or Boston, so the solar panel and battery requirements are vastly different. Sol sizes every system for the longest night of the year (December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere), and if low temperatures are an issue, we’ll be sure to recommend a battery that can handle it (lead-acid operate reliably down to –40°C).
Problem: Solar lighting doesn’t provide enough light
We’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a million times: solar lights that dim when they shouldn’t—or never get bright enough in the first place. These problems usually stem from one of two things: overestimated LED performance or underpowered batteries. If the fixture is inefficient or the system doesn’t have enough stored energy, it will either dim down to a level it can maintain or die.
Sol’s approach: Verified performance, no surprises
Sol uses only Tier 1 LED fixtures with high efficacy ratings (lumens per watt—the amount of light produced relative to the energy consumed). All luminaires have undergone LM-79 testing, which confirms real-world light output rather than the inflated results often cited from bare LED chips. And because every project is unique, Sol includes detailed specifications and photometric layouts with each quote, so you know exactly how much light you’ll get and where it will fall.
Problem: Solar lighting doesn’t last the night
When outdoor solar lights shut off before sunrise, it’s almost always a sizing issue. Sometimes the battery is too small for the load; other times it’s been discharged too deeply too many times. In some cases, the solar panels are simply undersized and can’t capture enough energy to keep the batteries charged.
Sol’s approach: Built-in autonomy and long-term reliability
Sol gets ahead of the problem by selecting the right battery chemistry and capacity for each project. Every system is designed with ample backup power—enough to operate at least two nights with zero solar input. This autonomy ensures uninterrupted operation during cloudy stretches while extending battery life. And if a battery ever does fail, Sol’s 10-year system warranty provides complete peace of mind.
Problem: Can’t find replacement parts—or even reach Customer Support
With so many new entrants in the solar lighting market, customers sometimes find themselves stuck when their product line changes—or disappears altogether. Replacement parts can be hard to source, and technical support is often minimal or nonexistent.
Sol’s approach: Long-term presence and mindset
Sol has been in the solar lighting business for nearly 35 years, and that longevity shapes how we support our customers. Our 10-year warranty is backed by real people, and we continue to supply parts and retrofit kits for systems sold years—or even decades—ago. Whether you’re replacing components or upgrading to newer models, Sol’s long-term support keeps your systems performing for years to come.
Your trusted solar advisor
If you’ve tried solar lighting and experienced the problems described in this article, it doesn’t mean that solar isn’t a viable solution for you; it just means you haven’t yet worked with a reputable solar provider that performs proper solar sizing and is there to support its products no matter what.
If you have questions about solar lighting, or a project you’d like to discuss, our team is always happy to chat.
